United Hearts
by Orion
Summary: Remy and Rogue get married in a humorous Cajun wedding.


UNITED HEARTS  
  
Disclaimer: Gambit, Rogue and The X-Men and all rights pertaining to them belong solely to Marvel. No money is being made by this story. If you would like to read the accurate history of Rogue&Gambit, you can go to 'The Joker and The Queen' (R&R Road section) where Rogue remembers her past friendships before remembering her first love, Gambit. This is part of the 'Heart' series, which is to be read in this order:- "To Steal A Heart", "United Hearts", "Separated Hearts" and "A Broken Heart."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
Storm, Wolverine, Bobby, Beast, Jean, Scott, Kurt , Jubilee, Bishop, Sage and Professor Xavier were on a small boat, heading deep into the swamplands of New Orleans for a very special event.  
  
"Only those two would get married in a swamp!" Bishop said, none too pleased with the surroundings.  
  
"True love doesn't consider its surroundings, Bishop, " Storm gently informed him.  
  
"Either way, it's going to be a fascinating night!" Beast said, upon seeing their stop up ahead.  
  
He could see a jazz band, a deflated tent and many Cajuns.  
  
The boat edged along the side of the swamp until it finally came to a stop. All of the X-Men got out and were greeted by Jean-Luc LeBeau.  
  
"Bonsoir! Welcome to m'boy's wedding!"  
  
"Thank-you", the Professor said.  
  
Soon, all of the X-Men had spread out amongst the other guests. Members of the United Guild were all there. The boat soon left.  
  
Walking up behind Bishop, Jean-Luc said, "I did hear 'bout you. Never thought you'd be here to celebrate m'boy's happiness."  
  
"True. I always thought I would be present at LeBeau's funeral, not wedding, " Bishop smirked and then laughed.  
  
Jean-Luc laughed as well but, then quietly excused himself. He went straight to Gris-Gris and said, 'You keep an eye on dat Bishop, Gris-Gris' .  
  
Beast saw the small confrontation and said to Bishop, "What are you up to, my friend?"  
  
"Just having some fun with LeBeau's family, I enjoy making them nervous " Bishop laughed.  
  
Storm and Jean headed across the swamp on a raft to where there were two little tents set up. In one of them was Rogue. She was already half dressed in a long, beautiful wedding gown.  
  
"Rogue, you look beautiful, "Storm said.  
  
"Oh, Rogue, you sure do," agreed Jean.  
  
"Oh, thanks y'all. Ah can't believe this is really happening. After so long, Remy and I are finally goin' t'be together."  
  
"Are you nervous, Rogue?" Jean asked.  
  
"No, ah thought ah would be, but, ah'm just excited!."  
  
All three smiled and then Storm said, "Let us help you finish get ready, Rogue."  
  
"Thanks, sugah."  
Back over on the other side of the swamp, Jubilee found herself near Gris-Gris' grill.  
  
Holding up a live chicken to her, Gris-Gris said, "Tonight, we eat good." He sliced the chicken's head clean off of its body in one swift moment. Jubilee gasped.  
  
Gris-Gris smiled, "Don' worry chile, if you don' like chicken, we have some pig comin' later. I give you de honor, you can kill it, oui?"  
  
Jubilee stifled the urge to throw up and walked slowly away.  
  
Gris-Gris called out, "I come look for you when the pig, she arrive!!"  
  
Just then, Wolverine and Scott crossed the swamp on another little raft , heading for the second tent.  
  
In it, they found Remy, partially decked out in the Guild's formal wear, pacing up and down furiously.  
  
"If you walk any faster and you'll wear out the clothes and the swamp!" Scott told him.  
  
"The Cajun's nervous", Wolverine explained.  
  
"I ain't nervous, Wolverine, jus' a little anxious, eh?"  
  
"Well, if yer ain't nervous, then, we'd better head out to the ceremony."  
  
"After you, mon ami, " Gambit allowed Wolverine to step outside the tent first.  
  
"Go on, Scott, I be right behind you," Remy told him.  
  
"But, Gambit, you should probably.." Scott protested.  
  
"Leave him be, Scott, he said he ain't nervous." Wolverine said.  
  
"Okay... " Scott stepped out of the tent.  
  
Remy followed, only to have had whistles and cheers greet him from across the swamp.  
  
"Why everybody whistlin' me?" he asked.  
  
"Uh..Gambit, you don't have any pants on, " Scott informed him.  
  
"Sapristi!" Remy exclaimed and headed back into the tent.  
  
"Like I said, 'Gumbo's nervous.'" Wolverine took pleasure in saying.  
  
Iceman walked among the guests as he waited for the ceremony. Tante Mattie called out to him.  
  
"Y'see dat, boy?" she asked.  
  
He came closer to her, "see what?"  
  
"De birds, de birds flyin' low tonight, de mosquitoes singin' in everybody's ears, de alligators all gone restless, de bayou have a fresh smell and de wind blowin' from de wrong direction."  
  
"What? What does that mean? Does that mean that we're going to get invaded by aliens from outer space? Is their leader going to marry Storm? Is one of the super-duper megavillians going to crash the wedding? Does it mean that Sentinels are coming? Or the mansion's on fire back at home?" he asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then...then..what does it mean? Please tell me."  
  
"Rain comin' tonight, " she said.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Sage stood in a corner of the swamp, very happy to be by herself. She was enjoying watching the Guild erect the previously deflated tent , for the reception. Every time they would put it up, it would come crashing down. She felt a slight tap on her shoulder.  
  
Smiling brightly, Emil Lapin said, "Bonjour mademoiselle. De name's Emil Lapin. And your name is? "  
  
"You may call me, Sage."  
  
"Sage.it a pretty name. So, what kind of powers you have, eh? What do you do?"  
  
" I'm basically a human computer. What do you do?"  
  
"I steal and hack into computers," he said, pleased with himself.  
  
"Not this one," she said, matter-of-factly.  
  
"Non, I didn't mean..do, do you want a drink o'somethin'? I can get you anythin' you want."  
  
"No, thank-you. I'm fine."  
  
"Well, how 'bout a plate of some good old Cajun food, eh?"  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"S'okay then..I catch you later then, hein?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Emil walked away and ran into Mercy LeBeau.  
  
"Why you so down, Emil?" she asked.  
  
"Dat Sage, I didn't make a good first impression, non?"  
  
"Never mind, I hear Remy tell that nothin' impresses dat one."  
  
"Hmmm... mebbe, mebbe not.." Emil thought.  
  
Another boat, the 'Mississippi Ma & Pa Pork Prize ' came down the swamp and stopped at the celebrations. Out jumped 'Pa Pork' as he was known in those parts. Gris-Gris and Bishop headed towards him.  
  
"Lookee here, ah bring Bessie, " Pa Pork said.  
  
"Bessie?" Bishop asked.  
  
"De pig, "Gris-Gris explained.  
  
Bishop looked, and saw that in the back of the boat was a huge female pig in a very small cage. The pig was tugging and pulling at the cage.  
  
"Ah tell y'all before that I ain't got no right to sell Bessie , but, Ma said, it's either we keep Bessie and starve or lose Bessie and eat. Ah grew Bessie up mahself, from when she was jus' a little girl. Ah told your John-Luke fella, that Bessie, she ain't gonna go quiet, but, he wanted her still. Said somethin' 'bout his boy getting' the best. He right, Bessie the best darn pig in all the south. Breaks mah heart to hafta see her go. But, mah deal was that I deliver the girl, didn' make no deal about getting' paid after y'all eat her. So gimme mah pay and I be on mah way."  
  
Gris-Gris paid Pa Pork and Pa brought the cage out to Bishop and Gris- Gris.  
  
"You show 'em, girl...show 'em you don' eat easy, Bessie, " he said, then, turned around and left.  
  
Gris-Gris smiled at Bessie and then asked Bishop, "Where dat Jubilee girl? I have a surprise for her."  
  
All eyes turned to the swamp when on a raft, Storm, Jean and Rogue were crossing it. Rogue looked beautiful, she radiated in her happiness.  
  
"Grand Daddy! Grand Daddy! He come." one of the Guild members said.  
  
Rogue looked and saw that a huge alligator was heading towards them, in the swamp.  
  
"If ah hafta dirty this dress to wrassle that gator..." she thought.  
  
Tante Mattie said, "If Grand Daddy come to de wedding, it a good sign."  
  
Bobby reacted, "Should I freeze the swamp up to stop it?"  
  
"Freeze Grand Daddy? Boy, hush yuh mouth!" Tante said.  
  
Jean-Luc said, "Grand Daddy don' know anybody scent in dat raft, he mightn't like dat. Gris-Gris, mebbe you should move him."  
  
Emil jumped up in front Gris-Gris, " I'll do it!" He turned and smiled at Sage.  
  
Emil went down to the swamp and started "fighting" Grand Daddy. It was easy enough, he just held the alligator's mouth together with his hands, so that he couldn't get bitten, while he tried to turn Grand Daddy around to swim in another direction. He would stop ever so often to flash smiles at Sage.  
  
Rogue, Storm and Jean made it over to the other side of the swamp and got off the raft.  
  
Emil kept tugging and "play fighting" with Grand Daddy. Sage smiled slightly with him. He lost all control over the situation at that point and Grand Daddy snapped at him.  
  
A long, very high-pitched squeal that eventually turned into a scream blared across the New Orleans' night sky just then.  
  
Everyone looked back to Emil, who sheepishly smiled and let go of Grand Daddy.  
  
He walked up to the others and Mercy asked him, 'You okay?"  
  
"S'fine. I be fine. Jus' , after de ceremony, I need to make a stop to the hospital is all."  
  
Mercy nodded her head disapprovingly.  
  
Emil continued to smile, 'It was worth it, eh? Dat Sage, she smiled at me." He was beaming.  
  
BellaDonna Boudreaux walked up to a wall and leaned on it while she looked at the people.  
  
Mercy followed her and said, 'Belle, y'sure you want t'be here?"  
  
"Yeah.I wanted to see dis, myself, " she said, thoughtfully.  
  
A fully dressed Remy LeBeau, Wolverine and Scott were crossing the swamp in their raft, when Remy caught a glimpse of Grand Daddy.  
  
"Dat a good sign." He smiled.  
  
"Only a Cajun would have a gator at his wedding, " Wolverine said.  
  
When Jean-Luc saw that Remy had arrived, he said to everyone, "It time.it time."  
  
The wedding was an open air event . Everyone started to take his/her place.  
  
Gris-Gris placed Bessie's cage to the side and said, 'Ahhhh.I already wait too long for dat X-girl. I'll have t'do dis myself, later." He took his place in the ceremony.  
  
Jean-Luc, carrying the rings, stood next to Remy. The jazz band started to play the Wedding March in N'Orleans style, while the maiden-of-honour, Storm, walked down the footpath, which was doubling as the aisle.  
  
Following her was Jean and then finally, with Logan at her side, was Rogue, in all her beauteous glory. Remy took one look at her and his heart sank. He left like the luckiest homme in the world. She looked up and saw him and couldn't help but blush and smile uncontrollably.  
  
She walked up to him and took his hand. She didn't think he could look more handsome that he usually did but today was an exception.  
  
Kurt began the ceremony, " We are gathered here today, to join together, this man and this woman in holy matrimony."  
  
Bessie figured this was a good time to try to break free. She pulled, pushed and tugged at her small cage.  
  
".Rogue and Gambit. if there were ever two people who deserved to be joined together, it's certainly these two."  
  
The people laughed at Kurt's impromptu comment.  
  
Bessie continued to push and tug and pull.  
  
"Rogue, will you take this man, to have and to hold." Kurt continued.  
  
Just then, Bessie broke free and started running through the grounds.  
  
Screams were heard from every corner as Bessie ran anywhere and everywhere.  
  
Bishop remarked to himself, " Pa Pork was right, you sure don't eat easy, Bessie."  
  
Gris-Gris ran after Bessie with a cleaver in hand, while Tante Mattie tried calling Bessie to her with a long hog call, 'Suuuuuuu eeeeeee! Suuuuuu eeeeeeee!"  
  
Shaking his head in disbelief, Wolverine said, 'Nothin' ever comes easy for that girl and the Cajun , huh?"  
  
" Not even their wedding, " Jean said.  
  
"Alright, alright, we move de ceremony to the reception tent, everybody head there while Gris-Gris catch dinner." Jean-Luc explained.  
  
The entire group headed into the reception tent. It was soon evident that it was cramped. With so many people squeezed into such a small amount of space, the tent soon began to sway back and forth as the people moved around.  
  
"It would probably be best to make this as quickly as possible, Kurt, " Beast said.  
  
"I think we can make it, " Kurt replied.  
  
A flash of lightning brightened up the night for a second and then , down came the rain.  
  
Tante Mattie turned to Bobby and said, "De signs never fail."  
  
The ground underneath everyone slowly started turning into mud.  
  
"On second thought, maybe a shorter service is in order, " Kurt mentioned.  
  
He turned to Rogue and pointed at Remy, "Rogue, will you take this man to be your husband?"  
  
"You betcha, sugah!"  
  
Turning to Gambit, he asked, "Remy, will you take this woman to be your wife?"  
  
"Jus' try t'stop me, mon ami."  
  
The rain poured down heavily , so much so, that the tent became even more unstable.  
  
"We're not gonna make it!", Jubilee exclaimed.  
  
"Shhhh.child, I'll go outside and stop the rain, " Storm said.  
  
As Storm made her way through the cramped guests, the ceremony continued.  
  
"Exchange rings , " Kurt rushed.  
  
Remy and Rogue both exchanged rings, smiling exuberantly.  
  
Storm continued to make her way to the outside.  
  
"Now, by the power invested in me and the state of Louisiana, I now pronounce you man and wife."  
  
There was a loud flapping sound coming from the tent and just as Kurt said, "You may now kiss the bride," the tent fell.  
  
Storm had just made it out only to look back and the see that the tent had already fallen.  
  
Knowing that all the guests were under the tent and down on the ground , in mud, Storm shook her head and then stopped the rain anyway.  
  
Inside of the tent, people were trying to get out. As soon as everyone did, Jean-Luc noticed that the bride and groom were missing.  
  
"Where Remy and de wife?"  
  
The members of the Guild grabbed onto the ends of the tent and lifted it away and there , still on the floor, was Remy and Rogue , fulfilling Kurt's last words by kissing each other.  
  
Everyone started clapping on seeing them.  
  
They got up from off the ground and headed into a 'wedding boat' that was docked, waiting for them. They waved to the guests and sailed off.  
  
The X-Men got into their return boat to head home.  
  
As they began to pull away, Emil ran up to the boat and said to Sage, "Femme! Computer girl! Send me an e-mail!"  
  
"You don't have a computer out here, " she replied.  
  
"I steal one, jus' for you, cherie, " he shouted.  
  
She smiled slightly as the boat sailed away.  
  
"Wipe dat grin off your face, Emil, " Mercy said, as she walked up to him.  
  
"Que? Why?"  
  
"You never gave her your e-mail address."  
  
"Ohhhh...non!" he sighed.  
  
On their boat, Jubilee said, "I feel sorry for Gambit and Rogue. Look at how horrible their wedding turned out!"  
  
"I wouldn't say that, Jubilee, all that matters to those two is that they get married. However it was accomplished, it happened. We wish them well, " Charley said.  
  
As Rogue and Gambit's boat continued to sail, Rogue said, "This is the best day of mah life, Remy."  
  
"Me too, mon coeur, me too."  
  
La fin. 


End file.
